May 26, 2009
When Passion Collides with Ambition
I have been weighing matters of calling, passion, and ambition. I’m thinking of passion in the sense of what I love to do, what gives me life, and perhaps even what I’ve been made to do.
On the other hand, there is ambition. I’ve been seeing ambition as the virus that infects an otherwise good passion or calling. Ambition twists passion and calling into a vehicle to accomplish larger goals that may run these beautiful things into the ground.
We could take a writer for example—you know, just off the top of my head—who wants to write because he’s passionate about it, and even feels that writing is his calling. However, ambition could step in and wreck it all. Ambition could drive this writer to aim to become the greatest writer in his field, negating any enjoyment of his accomplishments and turning his passion into a machine that must only accomplish the goals dictated by ambition.
Ambition kills a passion in the end, even if it promises to bring fulfillment and success.
This is all stuff I’m processing right now. It’s not quite crystallized in my mind. However, does any of this ring true?
Hmm, rings very true for me. In fact it puts a handle on something that I have been feeling but couldn’t pinpoint. I too will be thinking now…
Thanks Tim. Glad that resonated with you.
This is the same conflict I encountered in pastoral ministry. As we interceeded for the church to grow, the Holy Spirit kept confronting me about my personal agenda involved in increasing the Kingdom of God. If my church grows, then I’m successful. He finally told me to stop praying for my church and just pray for the area. Then He pulled me out altogether.